Sapphire Angel
by SapphireStormAngel
Summary: Sapphire once again in on the run from the man that ruined her life. She was forced to abandon Kakshi for his own safety, the one man she ever loved, though he isn't as willing to let her go. With both men desperately trying to find her for two different reasons, will she manage to get away or will the surprising pregnancy halt any hope of getting away? Sequel to Sapphire Shadows
1. Chapter 1 - Prolouge

Silence emanated from the dark forest, giving it the appearance of death and loneliness. Not a single bird sang and all of the animals seemed nonexistent. Hidden deep within this forest was a small warehouse, its wall withered and the roof barely holding on. It was the last place anyone would expect to see life, and yet laboured breaths could be heard from within, only stopping between the small screams of pain. The warehouse itself was mostly empty with the exception of an old, hard bed, the kind that you would expect only prisoners to sleep in. Yet the bed had a different occupant.

A small blonde woman was curling up in pain holding onto her bloated stomach in agony, her brow doused in sweat. The pain filled sounds were emanating from her hoarse throat, despite her best attempts to hold them deep within. Beside her sat a young raven haired man, his onyx eyes desperately roving around in an attempt to find a way to ease her pain. There was nothing. The man responsible for this wanted her to be in pain, and would much rather see the her dead than safe and sound.

"It'll be ok, I promise. You're nearly there."

"It hurts!"

"I know it does, but you need to do this while he isn't here. I need to protect both you and the baby. Now push."

The woman screamed in agony, as the young man moved towards the source of the pain. It was at moments like these that he wished he knew any kind of medical ninjutsu however it was never an area that he was interested in before today. The woman's pushes became longer and the shouts became shrieks of pain. The boy saw it finally coming out and reached out with his hands. A few minutes the screaming stopped and was instead replaced by the cries of a baby. The boy wrapped the child in his cloak before bringing it towards the woman, a small rare smile on his otherwise emotionless face. He placed the child in her arms and she sighed in happiness looking down at it with sapphire eyes, equally blue eyes staring back up at her in wonder. She placed the child closer to her breast watching as it fed. A single tear slipped out of her eye. She looked at the boy next to her.

"You need to take him and run. Find Kakashi."

"I can't leave you here! He'll kill you!"

"You don't have a choice. I'm much too weak to try to get away now and you know what he will do to my child if he sees that it's finally born. He will either take my son as a slave or kill him in front of my eyes. I can't let that happen. You're my only hope of getting him to Kakashi. He'll be safe there."

"But…"

"Please don't argue. I need to know that I can trust you."

The raven haired boy looked at her carefully not wanting to leave her, but eventually nodding. If he couldn't protect her, he could at least save the one thing most precious to her. The woman smiled at the reaction before looking down at the newborn son. A small silver tuft of hair could be seen on his head, his blue eyes slowly closing in exhaustion. He let go on her breast and snuggled deep into the gray cloak seeking the warmth of his mother. The woman reached down and placed a small kiss on his forehead before taking off a small bracelet from her wrist, the small silvery white charm dangling in the soft sunlight streaming in. She placed the bracelet in the man's hand, closing his fingers into a fist. A silent message passed between them and the man instinctively knew that she would not be making it out alive. The bracelet was a last gift for her son, asking for forgiveness. She gave the child one last kiss before handing him to the boy, who tucked him against his chest.

"What's his name?"

"His name will be Shiro, white just like his hair. Kakashi will like that I think."

The boy smiled slightly before a worried look crossed his face. He was about to ask a question but one look from the woman prevented him from going any further. She motioned him towards her and placed a chaste kiss on the boy's cheek. The care hidden behind it was warming to his heart, but at the same time there was a darker thought behind it. It seemed so final, a thought he feared.

"Be safe and travel fast. Protect my son. You're the only one I can trust with him right now. I'll be ok. The sooner you get away the quicker you can help me. Goodbye Sasuke."

The boy nodded and with one last look behind he jumped towards the high placed window and outside into the forest beyond not looking back. The woman laid back down on the bloody and sweaty bed smiling in happiness. Her son was safe. It wasn't long before the doors burst open and a dark figure approached. Seeing that her stomach decreased in size, he growled in anger. A faint chakra could still be felt in the air, alerting him that whoever had the child was already long gone. Approaching the woman he dragged her out of the bed by her neck and held her above the ground. Her smile, despite the pain she no doubt felt, infuriated him. How dare she do this?

"Where's the child?!"

"Gone. You'll never have my son."

"We'll see."

He dropped her on the ground before marching away. News of the child being male, only made him more determined to get it back. The woman landed painfully on the cold stone ground, but the smile never left her face. She knew she was slowly dying, she could feel it, but she also knew that her son would be safe. She could trust Sasuke to deliver Shiro to his father. At least her son could have a happy life, Kakashi would make sure of that. With that unfaltering smile she closed her eyes, allowing the calming darkness to bring her further into oblivion and further away from the pain. Her child was safe in the hands of the man who she loved with all her heart. That's all that mattered.


	2. Chapter 2 - Not Giving Up

Sunlight shone onto Kakashi's face, waking him up from his slumber and forcing him to curl further into the soft covers. His hand automatically reached for the woman that was supposed to be right next to him but instead only found cold empty space. His eyes sprung open taking a minute to get used to the light blinking rapidly, before looking around him. Sapphire was nowhere to be seen, and the house was deathly silent. No one else was here except him. He was about to rush out of the bed to find her when his eyes rested on the small wooden bedside table. It was currently occupied by two items that definitely weren't there the night before. He may have been slightly preoccupied last night but even then he still noticed things like that. It was second nature to him now. The first item was a small white rose, the pure colour now obscured with deep crimson, and a foreboding feeling. The rose was part of a set he had given her a couple of days before, and it only convinced him further that someone had been in his house. Someone he would no doubt dislike greatly. Kakashi could smell right away that it was blood smothering the delicate flower, though he found himself praying that it wasn't Sapphire's blood. His attention now went to the second item, which was a carefully folded letter addressed to himself. He found himself foolishly hoping that Sapphire just went to the shop or visit someone despite the threatening flower, though that hope was soon shattered into millions of pieces all digging into his already scarred heart.

 _Kakashi_

 _I'm so sorry for running, but it was my only option. He found me again. I can't stay here anymore, not with the threat over me also hovering over you and the others. I wouldn't be able to bear it if any of you were hurt or even killed because of my actions. I may not have got my memories back, but what we shared gave me new ones. Ones that I will never forget. I love you so much, enough to give you everything I ever valued, but you have to move on. I don't deserve you and there are many more beautiful and intelligent women out there that would be better for you. Women that don't constantly fear their past mistakes. I hope that you'll lead a happy life without me. I'll never forget you._

 _Love_

 _Sapphire_

Kakashi held the letter in his shaking hand, allowing his hot tears to stain it with sorrow. Even after everything he did for her and everything that happened between them, she still left. After both of the gave each other everything they had to offer. Was this man so dangerous that she had to run? Did she really have to leave him when he only just really got her back? He yelled in rage and slammed his fist into the closest wall, leaving a mark that only further reminded him of what he just lost. The stinging pain was quickly replaced by red hot anger. He wasn't angry at Sapphire, she did nothing wrong. She was just scared. It was that man he blamed. The nameless man that drove such fear into the one woman that Kakashi has ever loved. Most of all though, he blamed himself. He didn't see the signs that were clearly there. If he had just read them then he might be still holding her today instead of just staring at a goodbye letter. He should have listened to his instincts better, and instead he let his need take over. If he could turn back time, he would even refuse if it meant that he had her by his side. That was all he needed. Determination flared up within him as he reached a conclusion. He would get her back and he wouldn't let him win again.

With that new found determination he dressed up in his ninja gear and prepared his bag for long travel. He would be going after her whether the Hokage allowed him to do so or not. When he finished he left his bag in his apartment and rushed towards the Hokage's tower, somehow managing to avoid all civilians in his way. His mind was painfully aware that with each moment that he wasted, Sapphire only managed to get further away. That is if she was still alive. The thought was quickly pushed out of his mind. Sapphire was too skilled to die so soon, she knew how to cover her tracks. Unfortunately that would make his job harder as well. He burst through the doors into the Hokage's room ignoring the fact that there was currently a meeting going on inside. Guy and Asuma looked at him shocked while the Hokage just seemed to expect his presence here.

"Kakashi you're just in time. The guards have found a body of a young man outside the village gates yesterday morning. There have been also traces of unknown chakra. We're looking into the case but we have had no clues as to the nature of the killer."

"You do now."

Kakashi placed the two items he found at home, on the desk in front of the Hokage. All three of the other men in the room gazed first at the bloody flower, their eyes widening in the realisation of what it was before slowly turning their gaze towards the letter. The Hokage picked it up and started to read it out loud, the atmosphere getting heavier with each word. When he was finished silence fell on the room stifling everyone within it. The older man sighed in exhaustion before leaning back in his chair, deep in thoughts.

"What is this Kakashi?"

"Sapphire's gone"

"What?!"

"Kakashi this is a serious matter. Do you know who **he** is? It's the only reason she mentions to explain her sudden departure."  
"Not exactly. A few days ago I managed to learn some things from her under a strict promise that I wouldn't tell anyone unless I absolutely had to. I'm not aware of his name, however from her description and my own memories I managed to gather that she means the same man that took her 13 years ago. She told me that his aim then was to make her into the perfect weapon by training her in the use of her Kekki Gengi and other ninja skills. That aimed changed over the years into making her produce a powerful heir for him, though Sapphire managed to escape his grasp before he could implement his plan. I'm guessing that the flower was a message that only she could understand, a warning that he found her again. She fled to protect us from him."

"He seems to enjoy toying with her emotions doesn't he? I doubt that he really lost her these past 3 years. He probably just wanted to show her from experience that she could never get away, and when she got close to you Kakashi, he lost the remainder of his patience. He wants to reclaim her again."

Silence fell in the room, as the four men considered their Hokage placed his chin on his hands, mulling Asuma's word over in his head. He wanted Sapphire back as much as anyone however he was the Hokage and he still had the safety of the village to consider in the long run. If Sapphire was scared, one of the best ninjas he had ever known, then it was safe to assume that there was a tangible threat placed over their heads. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought about her sacrifice. It seemed he was right about the fact that she had the will of fire. Finally deciding on his course of action he picked his head back up and looked into Kakashi's impatient eyes.

"Very well Kakashi. Take your team and Gai's. Your mission is to locate her and capture her. If you see any of her pursuers do your best to gather information from them or send them back to Ibiki. We can't go running into situations like this blindly. She is one of us, a ninja from the leaf village and we don't abandon anyone. Keep in mind that although this mission is a long term one, you still both have to have your teams back here by the beginning of the chunin exams whether your team will be taking part or not."

"Hokage, are you sure that team 7 should go? From what we just hear the man hunting Sapphire is very dangerous and they just became ninjas. I understand Gai's team but…"

"It will be fine Asuma. They showed how skilled they are when they helped Kakashi take out Zabuza of the mist. Besides all three of them hold a deep connection with her, one that will only push them further until they finally find her."

"As you wish Hokage. Gai gather your team and meet me by the main gates in half an hour. There's no more time to waste."

The two men nodded to each other in understanding before splitting off in search of their teams and to gather necessary supplies. Kakashi found his easily enough in the clearing they usually used to train. He planned on being at least four hours late but that would only give her more of a head start. If they had any hope of catching her, they would need to move as soon as they could. It seemed that him being on time shocked his students, as they just stared at him with their mouths hanging open. Only Sasuke raised a brow, immediately seeing from his sensei's posture and expression that something was very wrong.

"Sensei...you're actually on time?"

"There's not time to talk. We have a B class mission that might easily turn into even an S class, so we can't waste time."

"But isn't that level too high for us? We're just genin."

"Might Guy's team is joining us. That's two jounin and 6 genin. It's about right for this mission."

"All right! What is it? Is it another bodyguard mission like with old man Tazuna, huh?"

"No Naruto. It's a search and capture mission. We're under strict orders not to seriously injure or kill our target, understood?"

"Who's the target?"

"Sapphire."

His students stiffened hearing the name of their beloved sensei and allowed silence to fall in the clearing. Kakashi knew that they didn't have time to waste but at this moment he knew that nothing would get them to react. He wasn't very surprised since in her time here, she seemed to grow on a lot of people within the village, her friendly attitude managing to snag even the more hostile and stiff members of the village. Even Sasuke looked heartbroken at the news, though he tried to obscure it. He seemed the closest to her and the thought that she betrayed him like Itachi must have stung.

"What? Why are we hunting Sapphire sensei?"

"I will explain everything once we'll reach the main gate. We have to prepare for a long term mission. Meet me there in 15 minutes, Guy's team will be there too and...it's not what you think."

The genin gave me a weird look but hurried towards their houses to pack. Kakashi rushed to his own house, even though he knew well that he was already packed for the long journey. The house seemed so empty without Sapphire. There was no one to cook dinner for him when he came home or to embrace him as a welcome. He hoped that he could marry her one day, and that maybe they could turn the spare room into a nursery if she ever wanted to have any kids. The image of his possible future child floated in his mind for a while before he pushed it aside. He had to concentrate on Sapphire now. If he couldn't find her then that child would never become a possibility. He was about to leave when he was stopped by a single picture in a simple wooden frame. It showed him and Sapphire laughing and holding each other. He was behind her holding her waist with his head on hers. The picture was taken a few days before she disappeared, when everything was still perfect. With a short pause for thought, he picked up the picture and placed it in the bag with his supplies. With everything ready he rushed towards the gate. By the time he got to the gate everyone was already there including both his team and Guy's.

"Kakashi my eternal rival. It seems that I have beaten you this time."

"This is no time to challenge each other Guy, you know that. Anyway team 7 consists of Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto while team Guy consists of Lee, Neji and Tenten. You're going to need to get to know each other on the way if we're going to make an effective team."

"But why are we chasing Sapphire sensei? You told us that you would explain everything when we all gathered together."

"Very well. I assume that you remember that Sapphire reached this village with the aim to steal the secret scroll but failed, correct?"

"Yeah, but what has that got to do with anything?"

"Well she did that in an attempt to get stronger. She's being chased by a very dangerous man, the same man that kidnapped her 13 years ago and made sure that she lost all of her memories of us and the event. It seems that he recently found her again, which caused her to flee the village in an attempt to protect everyone."

"What? She can't take care of someone that powerful alone! We have to help her!"

"That's the mission Lee. Find her and bring her back before that man gets to her. It's a race for her life!"

"Yes Guy sensei!"

"But why would she leave? Surely she knows that it's safer within the village then out there alone. Why didn't she ask for our help?"

"My guess is that she's scared that she'll lose us amidst the battle. She already lost her family to this man remember? She probably doesn't want to lose anyone else and is risking herself to do so."

This made Neji stay silent for a few moments thinking the possibility through. He was the smart one of the genin and his Byakugan would be useful in tracking any chakra traces that she may have left. He may not have known her well but the Hokage cared for her and he would trust his judgment. The remaining genin just looked sad and puzzled especially in the case of Naruto who was still trying to figure everything out. Sasuke on the other hand, just looked furious and determined though Kakashi doubted that the anger was directed at the woman in question. It was always hard to tell what that boy was thinking. Only Sapphire seemed to be able to do it recently and now that she was gone, he was back to his cold stony self. He was scared of the implications of her absence on Sasuke. There was barely anyone left in the village to hold him back before Sapphire arrived, and now he felt more alone than he ever had.

"Now Guy will guard the back while I'll use my dogs to try and find her scent. Neji you're coming to the front with me, your Byakugan will be a great help in tracking chakra. The rest of you stay in the middle and look out for any signs of suspicious activity. We're not expecting an attack but we don't know what the enemy is planning so it's better to be safe. Everyone understands everything? Good, let's go. We've already lost a good amount of time and with every minute she's getting further away from us."

Everyone nodded and they go into the correct positions, not bothering to argue or complain. Kakashi pulled out my scroll and biting his finger he summoned all of his hounds to stand in front of us them. They ranged from small and fast, to big and slow, which would come in useful in finding the direction that she took. The genin gasped in surprise at the sight since they have never seen all of his summons together like this, but Kakashi ignored them. This wasn't the time to be amazed by a summons, they had to get going.

"Pakkun I need you and the others to track Sapphire's scent. She left the village a couple of hour ago and we need to find her as soon as possible."

"Understood."

The hounds split up and sniffed the road and the surrounding forest, before catching a scent and running after it alerting the others. The group of ninja followed closely making sure that they didn't lose the trail. The sky gradually grew darker as they plunged into the deep forest surrounding the village hoping with all their might that Sapphire wasn't too far away and that they could still get her back. It wasn't long before they learned how wrong they really were.


	3. Chapter 3 - Friend or Foe

The darkness that shrouded the night and the moon hiding behind the shrouded clouds gave the perfect circumstances to flee the village unseen. Sapphire was barely visible in the darkness wearing the dark clothing that the had the mind to buy yesterday in a small local shop, before all of this even started. Her long blonde hair was tied up into a long ponytail, her bangs helping to hide her bright eyes. She had a body tight but comfortable t-shirt with loose black pants, both loose and comfortable which only made it simpler for her to move silently through the tall trees. She wore a mask, one of Kakashi's spares, both as a means of protecting her identity and as a reminder of what she had left behind. She had to take at least something that could remind her of what she was trying to protect and his mask was the closest thing to him, the item everyone associated him with. She also had a ninja pack strapped to her right thigh and a backpack with supplies on her back, although her headband usually placed on her waist, was nowhere in sight. She hid it in case someone recognised the symbol, however it was still safely tucked away with her kunai where no one would think to look. It gave her hope that she could back one day, no matter how foolish and unlikely that hope may have been.

Her progress was slowed drastically by the numerous guards that were scattered at the massive gates leading out of the village and beyond. She could have easily knocked them out or killed them, but her stay at the village made her more considerate of the people around her, and besides she merely wanted to sneak out and not become any more of a criminal that she already was. It wasn't the guards that she was so cautious about though, but rather their dogs. Inazuka dogs may has still been just animals but their bond with their handlers, and their extremely good sense of smell made it almost impossible to sneak past them. Despite the fact that most of them knew that she was an ally by now, they would still be curious as to why she was here close to midnight, which would blow her cover. She could not let anyone see or sense her. Managing to sneak out of the gate was simple enough even with the guards, but it was the forest beyond that she was most worried about. Even at this time of the night some ninjas traveled back to their village from missions and diplomatic tasks and that could be dangerous if she were to run into one. It would be hard to explain why a woman still seen as a criminal by some in the village including Danzo, was beyond the village at night in full gear. The biggest danger however were his men. She knew that they would be close, waiting for her to run as they knew she would. She had to be cautious, they likely placed numerous traps all around the area specifically designed to capture her in order to drag her back to their leader. They weren't stupid enough to think that she would willingly go herself. He still wanted her alive after all this time and not being happy would be a grave understatement if one of his subordinates hurt her or worse took her life.

Giving one last look to the proud village from the tip of one of the oak trees guarding it, she jumped down to a more sturdy branch and sped up from there travelling silently in the treetops. Dark trees whizzed past her as a sense of urgency pressed her onwards. She knew that Kakashi would wake up with dawn as he did everyday. He may have given the appearance of being lazy but she knew better. That gave her about 6 more hours before he would read her letter and realise that she was gone, and then another hour for them to notify the Hokage and organise a mission and a team. She had to use that time to get as far away as she could, to make sure that Kakashi wouldn't catch her. If he did in fact catch up to her then it would be all over. He wouldn't let her go again, probably even going as far as tying her up or locking her up in a prison cell to ensure that she wouldn't get away again. He wouldn't give up until he had her back. It was both a comfort to her in her situation but also a problem that she may have to face sooner or later.

Her mind was so occupied with those depressing thoughts that she barely managed to avoid getting a kunai embedded deep into her arm. At the last moment she managed to bend sideways avoiding most of the damage, yet still receiving a deep cut on her shoulder. She was out of shape. She ended up depending too much on her new team and it would take a while for her to get used to being alone again, but she had to do it to survive. With no one to help you, a simple lack of focus out here for even a second could be your death sentence.

Questions pooled into her mind only managing to jumble it even further. Did Kakashi find her already? No that's not possible he would never try to hurt her even if his life depended on it. Then who was it? One of **his** men? Most likely. She swiveled around trying to see through the darkness that engulfed the trees around her, desperately attempting to spot her assailant although without much success. She was in an open position with no clue of where the enemy was and an injured arm, one of the worst positions any ninja can find themselves in. Dropping her backpack she jumped in the air twirling, again just barely avoiding a volley of kunais, this time coming at her from her left. The shadows were covering any presence that may have given her assailant away and she had no doubt that he or she was already moving to a new location.

"I know that you're there. Show yourself!"

"Behind you princess."

Her body stiffened at the nickname, heart freezing in shock. There was only ever one person that called her that, someone she had never thought to see again. Twisting around she came face to face with a young man, barely older than her. Everything about him screamed danger from his dark clothing to the cold look in his chocolate orbs. Eyes that once looked so warm and inviting. Despite the obvious threat he posed her body and mind could not feel anything but joy at his sight. Everything seemed so familiar to her, from the soft purple locks that framed his face to the small scar on his cheek that he had for years. She knew him.

"Kaito…"

"So you remember me? I would have thought that you forgot my very existence by the way you abandoned me three years ago. Left me to die. Oh well, trust is a funny thing isn't it."

"I didn't abandon you! I waited and waited for you until there was no more time and his men came after me. You never showed up and I couldn't go back. Not to that place. Not to him."

"So you left?! Did you even think about what happened to me?!"

"Of course! You think that I could abandon my only friend in the world, just like that? You were always on my mind from that day that I escaped, even in my dreams. I always wondered why you didn't leave with me, and I never forgot you. I spent nights awake because I couldn't sleep to nightmares of him torturing you and hurting you! I would never abandon you."

"Ha, well too bad for you. I didn't show up because I decided that I didn't want to leave. I was happy just where I was, unlike you."

"But he beat you and treated you like trash! Why would you ever want to stay with him?"

"Oh you were always so gullible ever since you were just a little girl. It never occurred to you that all my stories and bruises and stories were fake? That I was just there to amuse myself and the master? Did you never consider how there was one nice person among his men that just coincidely seemed to like you? As if anyone could like you. You are so pathetic"

"No, you would never do that! He told you to say it didn't he?"

At this point tears were spilling out of her eyes, as she desperately tried to find any trace of lies on his face and finding none. her knees shook at the cold realisation making a deadly smirk flash across his face. He walked forwards slowly until he was just a couple of feet away, just close enough for her to see the kunai held firmly in his hand, poised and ready to strike.

"Nope, it was all me. Did you ever wonder how his men knew where to look for you when you escaped? How they knew the exact village even when there were a lot more possibilities to choose from? I'll tell you. You spilled all of your secrets to me and I passed them on to the master. You escaping our grasp simply because we let you. He wanted to show you what you stand to lose. Now that he found you again, he's not going to let you go ever again."

"You monster!"

Small sobs spilled from her lips as her feet moved her backwards, away from the man in front of her, the one that she thought would always be there for her even at a young age. The one person she thought she could trust with everything was the one person that almost cost her the freedom she so desired. She could feel her heart breaking. He was the first person she ever cared for and it took her two entire years to finally move on and stop blaming herself for what happened, but even then his presence always followed her. She left him there never knowing why he didn't show up to escape with her, and thinking he had perished. Now she knew the truth, she wished that she had never found out. Sometimes it hurts less not to know certain things. Kaito grinned at her emotional turmoil, deciding to make things even more interesting by toying with her even further.

"Master missed you a lot you know. No other woman could quite replace you, though he sampled many, especially since he never got a real taste of you. Imagine how he'll feel when he realises that another man has touched and filled you before him. What was his name...ah Kakashi Hatake. Masters' not going to be very happy with either of you. You were always his and to betray him like this. I wonder what kind of tortures he'll come up with…"

"Don't you dare touch Kakashi or anyone else from that village! The're not part of this!"

"Oh I won't lay a finger on them. It's the master you'll have to worry about soon. Besides, they became part of this the moment you placed one foot there. Nothing can save them now, not when master finds out."

"Then I'll make sure that you never make it to him."  
His face twisted into a sick grin before he vanished back into the shadows, his laughter echoing between the trees. Sapphire drew one of her daggers, careful to pay complete attention this time, not wanting to risk anything. The wound in her shoulder was burning considerably and she worried that she was losing too much blood. She couldn't afford to lose here or even faint, as either of the two groups chasing her would have easy pickings. She also couldn't let Kaito live, it wasn't just her life at stake anymore.

"Would you really kill your only friend?"

She gasped and raised her dagger barely managing to stop his own an inch from her chest, their faces almost touching. The area he was aiming for would not kill her but it would definitely incapacitate her for a longer while making her unable to stop him. Enough time for Kaito to tie her up and bring her back to her cage. She couldn't allow that to happen. her eyes looked into the dark abyss that replaced his and she could clearly see the sadistic amusement that they held within held. He was enjoying crashing down her world with his words, amused by her heartbroken and crushed reactions. Once she realised this fact, she was no longer hesitant to attack, pushing him back and jumping away. This man looked the same and he may sound the same, but he was not her Kaito.

"You're not my friend. Not anymore. You stopped being that the moment you decided to threaten my family."

His smirk vanished and was instead replaced by an angry scowl, his dark eyes narrowing as he stalked towards her. Kaito seemed angry at the fact that he couldn't play the friend card anymore, knowing that it was the only thing that was stopping her from retaliating or resisting. Now that it was gone, the only option left was to fight. He used his strength and pushed her back, using the new space to slash at her stomach digging deep into the skin. Blood splattered on the clearing and his face, until the body in front of him turned into a slashed log, the fake blood vanishing. Kaito realised the mistake he made immediately. The roles were now reversed, allowing Sapphire to attack from the shadows while he was stuck in the open with no idea where she would attack from. Without the knowledge of her position it was impossible for him to sneak into the shadows as well, leaving him with no options but to try and hit her blindly. Sapphire formed the correct signs before sending a volley of ice spikes towards him, their sharp tips glinting dangerously in the moonlight. To her surprise he merely flicked them away with his sword, with little effort.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to kill me."

He threw an array of paper bombs into the place the spikes came from and the surrounding area. The ear blowing explosion was soon accompanied by a low thud as a body fell to the ground from the trees along with several branches. The sound made Kaito's face twist into a pleased smile. Walking over to the bleeding and battered body, he smirked smugly when he saw her twitch slightly and moan in pain. Her legs were bent at awkward angles and the blood flowing out of her was quickly forming a deep pool. He could just tell from the smell that it was real this time, no illusions. Walking closer he was about to pick up her body when it suddenly turned into a puff of smoke. It was just a clone! He twisted round but by that time it was already too late. The second that he lacked focus just cost him his life. Sapphire's sword protruded from his back as his eyes stared in astonishment at the woman before him. The blade ran straight through his heart, the cold feeling of steel filled his body. Sapphire was also in bad shape and it seemed as the bombs that injured her to some extent, leaving several cuts and bruises around her body. The most prominent wound was a deep cut on her arm, no doubt there to produce the blood that tricked him into coming closer. No victory came without consequences and costs. Kaito knew that he was dying, though he didn't care much about his own life. He did his best to serve his master and that was all that mattered.

"He'll come for you and he'll kill everyone you love in punishment for your actions. You will never be safe again."

With his last breath Kaito became motionless, his weight causing him to slide off the smooth sword, leaving a bloody trail in his wake, and landing in a crumpled pile on the ground. Sapphire stayed still for a couple of moments, the realisation of what she did not completely reaching her yet. She had just killed the only friend she made during those 10 years in captivity. The only person she trusted in with everything including her thoughts and feelings. Her first kiss. She knew that it wasn't really him anymore. The boy that was always so positive despite the beatings, who always made her feel better was long gone, though that did little to limit the guilt that was festering within her. She couldn't stop the tears that fell out of her eyes that cascaded down her cheeks. She reached out with her fingers to close his eyelid to make him look just a little bit more peaceful.

Walking away slightly, she collapsed under a tree not far enough to lose sight of his body, but too far to see the hateful expression frozen on his face. The wound was taking more out of her than she thought it would. While it was a needed distraction for her to win, she wished that it didn't hurt so much. Taking out some bandages from her pack she wrapped them tightly around her shoulder and arm wincing slightly as the material dug in. Throughout the process her eyes stubbornly avoided to look back towards the clearing where the body was, her mind also concentrating on other things. She had had enough stress and horror by now to last her for a week. Now that she knew that she was being followed by both allies and enemies, she had to change her route otherwise they would catch her within a week, especially with this wound. Not that it mattered though. She hardly knew where she was going anyway, just as long as it was far away from him.

Standing up she was about to carry on before stopping and looking back at the tree. Taking out a kunai, she carved out a message before impaling the weapon next to it. Kakashi would understand and would hopefully leave her be. This was much too dangerous for him to be here especially now that the threat became clear. Finally letting her eyes wander to the body in the clearing for the last time, she disappeared into the dark forest. The sun was rising and she knew that Kakashi would be on her tail soon. She could only hope that he would heed the message he left, otherwise all of them might die and soon.


	4. Chapter 4 - Horrific Findings

Kakashi's team raced through the thick shrubbery as fast as our legs could manage, the thought of their friend and sensei in danger only working to push them forwards. Pakkun was leading the unit while following her trail, his nose close to the ground not leaving it even once. They lost it several times due to the nature of the terrain but Pakkun was always able to find it again, saving Kakashi many more panic attacks. There was a reason why he was my favourite summon. He could always tell when his master was in a hurry and paired with his incredible smell and intelligence, made him the perfect tracker to find Sapphire.

The sun was already high up in the air and they've been traveling for around 5 hours already, with the hot rays beating down on their skin. Kakashi could feel that his team was getting tired, especially Sakura and Naruto who weren't used to this sort of rigorous travel. Sasuke had a bit more resilience than the others but it was clear that even he was growing tired. Their brows furrowed in sweat and step by step they were slowing down despite their best efforts. Guy's team on the other hand seemed perfectly fine, though he wasn't very surprised since he witnessed first hand, just how Guy trains his team. Even some of the jounin would have a problem with his regime, and doing it daily could kill someone. A run like this was probably just warm up to him and Lee, their resilience encouraging the other team members. No one wanted to be the odd one out. Kakashi was knocked out of his thoughts when Pakkun suddenly stopped, before walking back and forth sniffing. He did this for a couple of minutes, almost as if he was trying to double check what he was sensing. When he was finished he looked back up at us but Kakashi could see worry in his small eyes. The dog didn't move forwards only cementing Kakashi's worried thoughts.

"What is it? Do you lose the trail again?"

"No, but I do smell blood and a lot of it seems to be from Sapphire."

Kakashi's heart clenched at the word blood and it propelled him forward leaving the rest of the team behind him. If there was blood then it could only mean that she was either hurt or dead. Maybe he had gotten to her too late after all. The thought of what life they could have and the dream of their children flashed desperately through his mind, giving him more motivation despite his exhausted body. He would never forgive himself if he came here too late.

His thoughts abruptly stopped when he landed on a tree branch, his eyes widening at the view it provided him. In a small clearing not far from where he was standing, lay a bloody body. It was slumped on it's back, a puddle of blood surrounding it. Kakashi was close enough to see the body itself but not too close enough to see if it was her. His heart momentarily stopped and fear clutched at his chest preventing him from getting any closer. Drawing his eyes away from the body for a moment he took in the whole clearing, realising quickly that it had been turned into a battlefield. Blood was scattered everywhere staining the lush green grass, and several trees on the far side of the once peaceful clearing, now stood ashen and barren. It was hard to imagine what happened here, but the further evidence only made his more desperate to run into the clearing and check for himself. To be honest, he had no idea what was holding him back, but whatever it was it was barely holding on. His pause in his sprint allowed the rest of his team to catch up to him, breathing heavily. They too froze when they saw the body in front of them, their attempts to catch their breath stopping in shock at the sight. They genin didn't have as much experience seeing things like this, and now that it could be someone they cherished made it even worse for them. An uncharacteristic whimper erupted from Sasuke's mouth, startling the others back into reality.

"Kakashi sensei...is that?"

"I don't know."

Knowing that he had to move, Kakashi jumped off the tree and walked slowly towards the corpse, begging in his mind that it wasn't the woman in question. His team was waiting for him back in the place he stopped, not daring to come any closer. They were just as terrified of who lay in that clearing as he was, and if it was in fact her, they knew that they wouldn't be able to stand the sight. The closer Kakashi got however, the more he realised that the body couldn't have been Sapphire's. The long mass of blonde hair was replaced soft purple curls and the body structure was more of a man than a woman. The body in front of him was firmer and more squared, containing none of the feminine charm that always attracted Kakashi to Sapphire. When he walked close enough to the body to see it's face he sighed in relief.

"It's not her! it must have been one of the pursuers."

"Yeah, she beat him!"

As the team walked towards him, Kakashi took a moment to take in the man. The cause of death was clear looking at the hole in his chest, but there was more. He was placed in a peaceful position, his hands crossed and his eyelids closed. Sapphire wouldn't have done that for him if she didn't care. He must have been someone from her past, but in that case why did she kill him? The man's clothing was black, with only a small difference in colour. At the collar of his shirt was stitched a small symbol, the red contrasting drastically with the black. The symbol presented a small ball of black flames surrounded by a red circle almost as if it was drawn in a pool of blood. Committing the symbol to memory, Kakashi tried to find anything else that might have identified the man, but except the small scar that lay on the man's chin, he had no success. It was only after his examination that Sasuke walked towards the body his black eyes studying it carefully. There was clear hate in his movements, by the boy was doing well to conceal it from the others. Eventually he asked a question that everybody wanted answered, although no one wanted to ask..

"Is it the same man that's chasing her or is it someone else?"

"It's someone else, it has to be. She placed him like this and closed his eyes to make him look peaceful. He clearly meant something to her, up to the point that she felt guilty about killing him, but I don't know who he could have been. Besides, I sure that if that man was dead then Sapphire would have come back to us."

"It seems that there was a big fight here. Their chakra signatures are all over the place as is the blood."

"Can you see where she went next Neji?"

"Yes. It seemed that she changed her direction from her current path. She's heading East now, towards the land of Ogres, probably to confuse those chasing her including us. If she manages to somehow reach a bigger city than we'll lose her. Even I won't be able to track her chakra signals among all of those people. I..."

"Kakashi sensei! You have to look at this!"

"What is it Sakura?"

Kakashi turned to look where Sakura was pointing, knowing well that it couldn't have been Sapphire, but hoping all the same. There stood a big oak, its roots were thoroughly covered in blood and from the smell it was Sapphire's blood. It seemed that the blood flow was much worse than he had originally thought. The fight must have been more of a strain than anticipated. She would be weak and if someone else caught up to her before them then she might not manage to win again. What worried him the most though was the strength of her current opponent. He not only managed to wound her but seriously too. Kakashi doubted that this was anything more than a first line attack, one of the weakest out of all of the ones that would come. If the weakest guy managed to cause this much damage to her, then what hope did she have of escaping? Asuma was the one who thought that the culprit never lost her and if she still thought that he didn't know where she was she was gravely mistaken. It finally made him understand why she felt such a great need to escape to ensure their safety. At this point all Kakashi could do was hope that she could hold out long enough to allow them to come to her aid, even if she didn't wanted it. The most shocking thing though was located a bit higher up on the tree, too high for any animal to create. Two words were haphazardly carved out deep into the tree spelling out a clear message.

GO BACK.

A kunai was embedded right next to the message, the handle coated lightly in even more blood. The handle had a small design of angel wings carved out in the side, the pooling blood clearly outlining the indent, giving it the look of bloody and bleeding angel wings. Not a very good sign. Only one person carried kunai like that and it just so happened to belong the person they were pursuing. He still remembered the day she got those kunai. It was a present from him, knowing well her slight obsession with wings. According to her it was because of her own wings, but Kakashi could tell that it was much more than that. The logo of her clan was the exact same symbol and it was an indication that she remembered something, though he didn't want to push her too much. Now that he thought it over he wondered whether it was the right choice. If he had pushed her, would her bloody kunai still be found, or would she still be in his arms at home in their warm and safe bed?

"Is it from Sapphire sensei?"

"Yes dobe. That's her kunai."

"It's a message from her. She knows were following and wants us to turn back."

"Still we can't listen and just abandon her! We have to find her before that bad guy does."

"We will Naruto but we will need to hurry. It's around a two week run to get from here to the land of Ogres, slightly more with Sapphire since she's injured. We may be able to catch up to her and stop her before she reaches it. If we do that then we will complete the mission. If not then we will have to return to the village for a while. You have the chunin exams to participate in and the Hokage refused to give any leeway when it came to them."

"You expect to just leave her without any help? I can't do that."

"Naruto, I don't want to leave her anymore than you do but we don't have a choice. if we don't then we'll be considered missing nins which would mean that we would never find her, not with everyone hunt ing us."

"That's why these two weeks are so important my friend. We shall capture your sensei and bring back her youthful spirit!"

"Yes, Guy sensei!"  
While the two were cheering each other on, Kakashi noticed that Sasuke was clenching his fists in fury, looking like he was about to punch something. He was the closest one to Sapphire, the two often acting like brother and sister, and so the loss seemed so much more than what the other genin shared with her. During the mission he seemed to constantly fiddle with the sword he received from her, as if making sure that it was still there. He kept it on his back where it was easily accessible, the handle sticking out at his waist. It seemed to have become his weapon of choice ever since Sapphire disappeared and no one could blame him for that. Kakashi watched him as he walked closer to the tree and pulled the marked kunai out, before cleaning it and putting it in his pocket. He glared at the body for a minute before resuming his emotionless facade. Kakashi could still see the turmoil behind the boy's eyes though, he wasn't sure what to think. This wasn't the time for that though, they had to move quickly.

"Well then we should get going. The blood was dry so she's ahead of us by at least a couple of hours journey from here. She's hurt and the wound will slow her down giving us time to catch up to her if we hurry."

Both teams nodded at Kakashi's suggestion before jumping up into the trees and following Pakkun in the new direction. They traveled for another couple of hours, eating on the go to save time, but to Kakashi it was pretty clear that they needed a rest. The genin were slowing down majorly and even Guy was pulling in air faster than before. Kakashi wanted to carry on, in fact he needed to do it to prevent his heart from exploding in worry and stress, but at the same time he knew that if they didn't rest then Sapphire would slip out of his grasp for ever. Calling a break everyone promptly fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events Kakashi among them. The more he slept today the more he could travel tomorrow when the search was resumed. Images of his and Sapphire's lives together filled his mind and lulled him into a restless sleep, completely missing the lone figure that was standing a little way off from where the others were sleeping.

Sasuke stood beneath the dark trees watching the moon slowly rise into the sky while fingering the small carving on the kunai. He blamed himself for the disappearance of his sensei. She left to protect him and the others. If only he was stronger and trained harder, she might have stayed instead of running. She might have realised that she didn't have to protect him, instead it should have been the other way around.

His other hand gripped the sword that he had on his back pulling it out and admiring the shine that it gave off in the moonlight. The design was simple enough with a double sided blade in a flat, gray scabbard, but it was the ability of the user that made it dangerous. That is what she always told him. When Sapphire gave him the sword she explained that it transferred the user's chakra allowing for both reinforcement of short attacks and a range of longer ones. She had acquired it on one of her travels and it was one of her most valuable weapons. That should have been the first sign that something was wrong, that and the small sad smile on her face when she promised to teach him how to use it. She was lying, and the sword was merely a goodbye gift and an apology for being another person to abandon him.

No, she didn't abandon him. She was protecting him, and the only way to get her to come back was to get stronger. He had to train harder than ever before. It wasn't all about Itachi anymore. True the lust for revenge remained buried deep within his heart but for the time being it was obscured by another emotion. He didn't want to lose anyone else he cared about and that was exactly what she had become over the last couple of weeks. She was like an older sister to him, the only person that actually understood what it was to grow up alone with no parent and your entire clan dead, and he'll be damned before he let her get hurt. He would find the mystery man, and he would kill him.


End file.
